Parks and recreational facilities are an amazing attraction, source of revenue, and point of pride for their cities — but they are often difficult to maintain and repair and can quickly fall into disrepair. When designing and engineering Riverfront Park, Davis & Floyd incorporated sustainable development practices in all facets of the design from the site lighting to its source of irrigation. What our designers could not fully account for, however, was the impact that a back-to-back hurricane (Matthew) and tropical storm (Irma) would have on the park. Davis & Floyd worked to evaluate and plan to bring the park back to its former glory — but focused on creating more sustainable and maintainable design for this coastal park and preventing the city from dealing with this sort of damage again.

During the restoration of the park, we assessed the damaged electrical system, originally designed by another firm, and recommended replacing the existing system with a flood-resistant design. Special attention to stabilization and longevity was given while surveying the extent of erosion that had occurred along the shoreline. Additionally, we assisted the city in preparing applications for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) reimbursement so that funding would be provided for the storm-related repairs. The park has withstood multiple natural disaster events since restoration was completed.